Aerial towed targets



Sept. 3, 1957 R. B. COTTON AERIAL TOWED TARGETS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1955 INVENTOR Wafiezzfi (bl/0J2,

ATTORNEY vSept. 3, 1957 R. B. COTTON AERIAL TOWED TARGETS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1955 1NVENT OR ioZezzfi aatwz,

ATTORNEY u QQV.

Sept. 3, 1957 R. B. COTTON 2,805,055

AERIAL TOWED TARGETS Filed Aug. 26, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 llll lllll'i fiaier/fi 17015022, 55 57 55 ATTORNEY States AERIAL TGWED TARGETS Robert B. Cotton, Media, Pa., assignor to All American Engineering Company, Wilmington, 1121., a corporation of Delaware Application August 26, 1955, Serial No. 530,699

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-105.3)

This invention relates to a towed aerial target.

It is an object of this invention to provide a target capable of being towed at high speeds.

A further object is to provide a target having high reflection characteristics for radar and light waves with a large surface area.

Another object is to provide a target, which if desired may be rotatable.

Still a further object is to provide an easily stowed and consists in the construction, arrangement and combination I of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, it being understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the details of construction.

In the drawings like parts throughout the several views are given like numerals and are thus identified in the following detailed description;

Figure 1 is a side isometric view of one form of the present invention assembled for use; 7

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of a target carrier aircraft with the target in launching position at take-01f and with the same shown in dotted towing position after takeoff;

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the target shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross section view taken on section line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing the target collapsed for stowing or shipping;

Figure 6 is a detail in cross section of one of the wings or panels of the target;

Figure 7 is a broken detail view of the fair lead tube and the tow cable connection at the target nose on line 7--7 of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional detail view of the cable release means;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing the tow cable extending from the outrigger tube to the target fair lead tube.

Referring to the drawings and first with particular reference to Figures 1, 3 and 6, there is disclosed a target means broadly constructed according to the present invention and comprising an elongated body which includes a plurality of wings or panels 9 which radiate from a common axis and which are substantially equally spaced about said axis. The panels or wings 9 are of isosceles triangular form in cross section and of right angle triangular form in side view and the base ends of said triangular Wings are in the sides of an equilateral triangle in the center of which is said axis and which base ends provide the tail porton of the body. The outer edges of said panels or wings are inclined from the relatively wide end of the body to a nose at the opposite end thereof.

Each wing or panel 9 is a double walled member and comprises a plurality of forms 10 having opposed parallel sides and opposed outwardly inclined sides as indicated in Figures 5 and 6. These are preferably provided with apertures for maximum lightness of the body.

Each wing further comprises a pair of opposite side sheets 11 and 12 which are secured to said forms 10 as by means of rivets 13 and the said sheets extend beyond the outer ends of forms 10 and are secured to each other as by rivets 14. Other forms, such as truss members 15, 16, 17 and 18 are disposed between said sheets and to which the sheets are secured, as by rivets 19. Each panel further comprises a base plate 21 having inwardly projecting flanges 22, which are secured to the inner edges of the side sheets 11 and 12 as by rivets 23, and the said plates 21 of the three wings are disposed in the sides of said equilateral triangle and provide a central chamber 25 extending longitudinally of the body.

Hinge edges 24 are secured to the inner edges of the side sheets 11 and 12 for receiving a wire or the like pintle by which the three panels are hingedly connected with provision for removal of at least one of said pintles whereby the wings are capable of being folded as in Fig. 5

for facilitating storage thereof. The said side sheets have polished exterior surfaces and high reflectivity for radar waves and light waves and serve as air foils C, B and D I during flight.

The nose 28 of the target body is plugged with an elongated tube 29, which serves as a fairlead for a tow cable 31. This tube is also formed with an eye hook 30 for attaching to the bomb rack generally indicated at 27.

The tow cable 31 extends through the fairlead tube. 29 and is provided with an end holding means, such as a bushing 32 rigidly supported within the tube 29 and through which an end of the cable extends, together with a disc 32 freely engaged with the inner end of the housing to which disc the said end of the cable is secured, thereby providing a swivel connection between the tow cable and the target body. This swivel plate or disc 32 permits rotation of the target during towing, see Figure 7. Also, the tow cable 31 includes an automatic release coupling, see Figure 8, comprising a cable coupler head 33, a splice joint 34, a cup shaped cylinder 35 around the splice joint having a spring 36 and a release plunger .37. Pressure applied to the plunger by outrigger tube 38 disengages the spliced joint and releases the target 9 when desired. The detail structure of the spliced joint of Fig. 81 is not herein claimed as applicants invention.

The tow cable 31 from the splice joint leads from the fairlead tube 29 under the aircraft wing into the outrigger tube 38 and to the winch drum W. This tube permits the cable 31 to trail from the end of the same, as shown in Figure 2, while towing the target.

The bases of the side members or wings of the target are provided with ground skids 49, which are used to stabilize the target during take-off, see Fig. 2. Also the bases of the side members are provided with trim tabs 41 adapted to stabilize the target in the air, improve lift and when and if desired to provide for rotation when positioned alternately up and down to develop torque with the slip stream.

The tow cable 31 is preferably anchored at the tow end to the drum of the winch in the aircraft, which is controllable by the pilot or any occupant of the aircraft to either reel the cable in or out as necessary. As the winch is well known in the art, the same is not shown in detail.

, 3 Operation The launching of the target consists offirst connecting the target hook 30 to the bomb rack 27, while the carrier aircraftis' on the landingdec k or runway so. thatmne ofrthe groundskids 40 rests. up'on.the.ru nway Thezaixtcraft takes ofiandthe towcableis reeled outato -trai1lth'e.- 7

target afterthe same-is released fromthethomblraclclzl After the target has been:towedtandvthemission coma pleted, the same may be returned to a positidfiabove home' base or:released in theair at any desired locationiby. the automatic release coupling. .,prior:to. landing. This re lease. is accomplished by reeling intthe tow-cablelwith the winch means, until;thetpressureaplateprplunger 37. r engagesthe end of the-outrigger tube 38; This causes-them plunger plate 37 to be pressed. in tagainstttheaction,ofthe spring;.36 ,,to.thereby partthe splicetjoint. 34.- Positioning ofithe trimttabs prior to take-off.may controhlift and--also; the degree. of rotation-to be imparted.tolhedarget during,

flight. v

Thus'there is-provided alightweight rigidtargetrbody adapted. to -be visib lein light, reflect, radar. waves; be; ii1-= dependently released and -also.to have buoyancy iftdroppeda on. water; Also, if released .over thetground. thefairlead, tube will pi'erce the ground and.,the ztarget willrstandtup so as to be easily mi are reuse-.andlto prevent damage .tto'the'target. t Hi Without further descripton .it is believedthatrthe present.

invention is. clearly understandable, to others. authorized,

to practice thetsamea While only, one embodimentoffthe.

inventon isvdescr ibed' and illustrated in detail it is:to be expressly. .und er stood' that other. combinations,- modifica tions and arrangements. of the parts. whichwill-now probably occur to others skilled in the art" are: to be considered ;a part hereof. To determine the scope of the present invention, reference should tbeihad to: the:

appended claims; 7 V

.What-istclaimed is:

1'. An aerial target having a base and a nose comprisingtan'elongatedbody including a plurality ofipanels or wings radiating from an axis and disposed in substantially uniformly spacedrelation circumferentially'ofl said;

axis, saidpanels each includinga base plate and. a pair of side sheetswhichconverge from-opposite edges-oi said,

base plate to a line of' contact thereof "which converges:

fromfjsaid ba'se, to said. nose, said panels being of. like dimensions, and said baseplatesincross sectiontbeinginthe sides of an equilateral triangle and providing a central chamberextending longitudinally ofthe body, andsa-idbase providing the tail portion=of the body. 7

2. The aerial target described in claim 1, wherein said nose supports fairlead means for a tow cable, said fairlead means comprising a hollow tube projecting from said nose and being in communication with said chamber and said tow cable being formed with a swivel connection within said tube, tothereby permit rotation of the saidbody during aerial towing: thereof,

3. The aerial'target described'inclaim 1, wherein'said tail portion of the body includes trim tabs andtake-ofi runners. a t

4. An-aerial target according toclaim 1, wherein each of said wings comprises a plurality; of formers having opposite outwardly converging side Walls, and said side sheets being secured to said former side walls, theouter edges of said sheets extending beyond the outer ends of said formers and being secured in contacting relation; 5; The aerial-tow target described'in-"cl'aim' 4,,Wherein the said formers are relatively larger; at the tail. endof" thebodythan at the noseend thereofr 6. An aerial tow targetcom prising a plurality of like" dimension airfoils of elongated triangular form in side elevation and of isosceles triangular form in cross section with inner edges of theside walls of the -airfoils beingdisposed inuniformly spaced:- relation about the central longitudinal axis of the target, a hinge connection for each' pair of adjacentinner edges of saidside walls, said hinge connectionseach including a pintle extending substantially throughout the length-of said airfoils and at, least one" of which is removable whereby said airfoils may be rotatedabout the remaining pintles andfolded into parallel relation with each other for facilitating storage of'the tar'getr Y References Cited-in the file' of this patent UNITED" STATES PATENTS Pierce? lDec. 22, 1953,

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